unholy trinity
by Mimiv
Summary: au. the unholy trinity in a modern setting where relationships, among other things, get messy. suzaku/c.c./lelouch.
1. Chapter 1

There were many reasons to dislike C.C. That she took up so much of his best friend's time and energy was one of them. That she was a selfish woman who didn't deserve his attention was another. And that she was, in all senses of the word, a _bitch_ was perhaps the worst of all.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Suzaku never approved of their relationship. She hung on him like a leech, and if he knew Lelouch, which he did, he needed someone he could trust, someone who could take care of him properly when he was too busy to do so himself. Someone like Shirley, and he and Shirley may very well have gotten together if _she_ hadn't shown up.

There was a glint in her eye, something about the way she carried herself and the curve of her lip when she smirked. She was bad news, and he tried telling him that from the very start. Sure, he was hurting. They all were, but that didn't mean he should let a woman like her take advantage of him. Lelouch didn't listen, though. He didn't disagree with Suzaku, but he didn't agree either. Then, hardly two weeks later, she moved in with him. Lelouch, as steadfast an advocate for order and cleanliness as there ever was, now lived with empty pizza boxes and dirty clothes constantly strewn across the floor. And his friend didn't seem much happier for it either. At one point, Suzaku thought that, well, if she could bring him some peace of mind, then maybe she was worth it. But that didn't seem to be the case. He didn't change for the better in the slightest. In fact, he almost looked more worn down.

It was her fault. He was sure of it.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

It was the day after the new year that Suzaku visited his friend with a conciliatory bottle of wine, his well wishes, and renewed determination to talk Lelouch out of this relationship. His knuckles rapped against the small townhouse door, and the familiar gesture—

(pink hair, hand wrapped around his, lilting voice calling through the door for her brother to hurry)

—made his throat close. He had to cough to force air through. A year later, and it was still too soon to think about her without his stomach dropping and his chest clenching. His grip on the wine tightened til the cap dug into the palm of his hand to the point of drawing blood. Before it could, the door opened abruptly, and all his negative feelings dissipated as a cheery voice greeted him.

"Suzaku!"

Nunnally rolled forward in her wheelchair and grabbed his hand tightly in hers.

"Happy New Year! We missed you last night!"

Suzaku laughed lightly and leaned forward to take her hand fully in his palm. "Happy New Year to you too, Nunnally. I'm sorry; Cécile invited me to a party at Llyod's, and I couldn't refuse again after last year. Next year, though."

She mirrored his laugh and nodded resolutely. "It's a promise, then."

Her bright eyes were an exact copy of Lelouch's. All three of them had always been close, but he was a bit surprised to see her. Time had perked up all her girly features. She was practically a woman now.

"Is Rolo here too?" he asked next, stepping across the threshold as Nunnally rolled back and then forward to nudge the door shut behind him.

"He was. He left earlier this morning because, um."

She lowered her tone of voice.

"Well, he doesn't like Miss C.C., you know, so."

"Ah."

Suzaku didn't need further explanation. Lelouch's younger brother shared much of his same views on the woman.

"Is Lelouch home, then?"

He set the wine in Nunnally's outstretched hands and wandered further into the living room.

"Sorry. He left to run some errands, but he should be back soon. Miss C.C. is here, though."

He wished he misheard her words from the kitchen, but he didn't, and he cringed. The one person he didn't want to see was the one person around. The irony was almost too much.

And speak of the devil—

C.C. leaned over the handrail from the second floor, her green hair falling over her shoulders to frame her face and pretty yellow eyes. They reminded him of a cat's, sly and cunning.

"Hello, C.C.," he said coldly, refusing to meet her gaze as he shifted from where he stood and entered the living room, away from the stairs and her suggestive pose. She was in nothing but his dress shirt yet again with the same overstuffed eyesore of a doll clutched at her side.

"Hello, Suzaku."

There was something about the way she said his name that rubbed him the wrong way. He wanted to snap at her for it, but he cleared his throat instead and took a seat on the couch. She brought out the worst in him, she really did.

"Oh, Miss C.C., the pizza man came. I left the boxes on the dining room table. You can have some too, Suzaku!"

C.C. snapped her head in Suzaku's direction and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. Her mouth formed the words, "no, you can't," and Suzaku snorted.

"It's alright, Nunnally," he called, "I ate a big breakfast."

He watched her skip the last two steps and land on the hardwood floors with a soft slap before padding into the kitchen. Her hair fell past the small of her back, but the short length of the dress shirt and the way it shifted as her hips swung with every step made it hard not to notice the light colored underwear she sported underneath. Suzaku tried not to stare and made sure his eyes were focused elsewhere when she reentered the room, plush doll in one hand and pizza slice in the other.

She sat on the couch opposite him, completely unabashed about her scant clothing. She no longer seemed aware of him as all her attention was directed to the string of cheese stretching from the crust to her bottom lip.

"You should probably get dressed," Suzaku commented as casually as he could, "I'm sure Lelouch—"

"Lelouch doesn't mind," she interrupted, "And besides, you came so early."

"It's eleven."

She shrugged, and awkward silence reigned from there, punctated only by the sound of her chewing and that of water boiling in the kitchen.

"I'll make us all some tea," Nunnally chirped.

Suzaku voiced his agreement then turned his eyes on C.C. a second time. There was contempt in his gaze that his general good nature couldn't even mask. Only the few buttons across her chest were done, and it made her look bustier than she actually was. His eyes traveled down to her long legs folded neatly behind one another. Her pale skin looked soft and supple to the touch.

Before he realized he was staring, she called him out on it.

"You can do more than just look, you know."

He nearly choked but managed to catch himself beforehand. Rather, he leaned back, crossed his arms, and scoffed.

"I'm just waiting for Lelouch."

She was done eating by then and began licking the grease and sauce from her fingers, trying to catch Suzaku's eyes as she did so.

"You don't have to be so cold, White Knight. I know your relationship with Lelouch."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," she started, leaving her doll to sit beside him. "You're jealous."

"Of him?" Suzaku laughed.

"Of me."

Her sharp, piercing eyes finally caught his, and the effect was heightened by the knowing smirk that spread across her face at the same time.

"Please," Suzaku countered, unflinching, "You're just making things up as you go."

"Fine," she conceded, and before his mind could register the shifting of weight, she'd positioned her legs on either side of him.

C.C. straddled his lap with a mixed look of boredom and superiority and leaned forward, her lips ghosting against his.

"—Of him."

* * *

**author's note:** uh wow HI um it's been a while :,D long story short, i'm a college student now, but i'm back on my code geass kick. i've just really really really been inspired to write some suzaku/c.c./lelouch fic lately, and here we are! there really are too few c.c./suzaku fics which is a shame because since their relationship wasn't much explored in canon, i think that leaves ample room for interpretation! but anyways, this is alternate universe. this chapter was mostly setting up initial dynamics, and i'm still not 100% sure where i want to take this fic, but ugh, the shield/sword dynamic is just too great, and i'll try my best to translate it out of the code geass setting. please enjoy, and if you have any suggestions, please leave u3u


	2. Chapter 2

Suzaku's mind blanked. The words caught in his throat when he tried to speak which was exactly the sort of reaction C.C. had been fishing for. His expression—a little dazed, a little angry as his mind churned for a proper response—gave her endless amusement, so she took it a little further and let her weight settle. Her thighs brushed against some of his more sensitive parts, and that's when the confusion cleared from his dark green eyes, replaced by the same hard glint that he'd greeted her with.

His hands forcefully latched onto either side of her hips. It seemed he was intent on throwing her off, but the click of the front door's lock took both of them by surprise. Suzaku froze; C.C. swiveled her head in the direction of the sound. Before the realization could fully sink in, Nunnally's voice was greeting her brother and Lelouch was in the living room.

His eyes were downcast and his hands ladled with grocery bags. The first thought in Suzaku's mind? Slight surprise that he could support all that weight in one trip. The second? _She was still sitting in his lap_.

He could feel the heat rising to his ears and spreading across his face. He wasn't affected by things like this on a normal basis, and he wouldn't have been if she'd just had the _tact_ to—to, well, _stop_ whatever it was she was doing. The moment Lelouch had walked into the room, though, it seemed C.C. had forgotten about him. All her attention was now on her black-haired companion as she pressed a hand against Suzaku's chest to steady herself and tilted her head in the other's direction.

Suzaku's hands were still on her hips. He was torn between throwing her off and—and—and, _well_, nothing because maybe, just maybe, if he did nothing, Lelouch wouldn't notice? Or else—

His mind raced to come up with excuses, but it was difficult when he didn't know what C.C. was doing in the first place. He was so wrapped up in internal dialogue that he almost missed what she said next.

"Welcome home, Lelouch."

Lelouch didn't respond, merely frowned at the back of a brown packaging of coffee as he slipped his arms from his winter jacket, first one and then slowly the other.

He pivoted abruptly, presumably to hang his coat, and in that time, Suzaku regained his senses and hissed as quietly and fiercely as he could, "_C.C.! _Get off—"

"Did you buy pizza?" C.C. called, shifting, almost clamping down on him harder. After a brief pause, a few footsteps, and some faint chatter (Nunnally's soft tones, Lelouch's deep tenor), Lelouch's voice drifted from the kitchen.

"Does it look like I did?" The exasperation was obvious and then, almost immediately with an undertone of disgust, "—And _there's already pizza here_."

The direction of his voice shifted slightly; he was reentering the living room. Before Suzaku could hiss a second time, Lelouch had passed the threshold and stopped. Suzaku was certain he'd seen them this time; he was practically staring directly at them. There was a pregnant pause. C.C.'s fingers curled playfully into his shirt, and he was honestly about to shout at her when she dismounted as arbitrarily as she'd gotten on. Her long legs slipped to one side, and she was gone, floating over to meet Lelouch beside the groceries still piled against one another on the floor. There was the slightest hint of a cheeky grin on her face, if it could be called that.

Suzaku stood up quickly, ready to explain with his face still flushed and his tongue a bit dry. She was just toying with him. She was just toying with him _and _trying to make Lelouch jealous. If that didn't make her a witch of a girl, then he didn't know what did. The anger and chagrin at being used and at the misunderstanding it'd surely cause made Suzaku start talking much louder than he wanted.

"Lelouch! I—I mean, I just—It wasn't—"

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Lelouch laughed, a genuine smile sliding onto his face as he stepped forward and outstretched his hand.

Suzaku stared at it, dumbfounded, for a good three or four seconds before he got his bearings and returned the gesture.

"Y-Yeah! It's been, uh, busy," he tittered hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as he watched C.C. rummage through the grocery bags from the corner of his eye.

When she found nothing she liked, she simply sat down again.

Suzaku wet his lips. He supposed if Lelouch wasn't going to comment on it, then neither would he.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

It took another five or ten minutes to finish storing the groceries, Suzaku doing most of the heavy lifting despite Lelouch's insistence that he could do it alone just fine. An acerbic quip from C.C. about upper body strength, though, preoccupied the dark-haired male til Suzaku was nearly done.

"—In any case," Lelouch heaved, and C.C. knew she'd won. As much as she could win, anyways, against his stubborn wit.

Using up so many words made her hungry again. She began drifting after Suzaku in search of more pizza, but Lelouch suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. There was a frown creased on his brow. C.C. cocked her head to one side and waited, curious, but the look on her face said she already knew what he wanted to say.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop," he murmured, voice deliberately lower than during their little debate.

"I was just being friendly," C.C. hummed.

"Friendly," Lelouch deadpanned, releasing her before Suzaku could get within earshot.

"Being friendly doesn't violate our contract," she managed just as the other came up and caught the very last word of the sentence.

_Contract_. Suzaku wondered what they were talking about, but he didn't get very far in his line of thought. The tray on which he carried the teacups and teapot tilted, and Nunnally gasped lightly behind him.

"It's ready!" she chirped once everything was settled. Her wheelchair hit the short edge of the coffee table, and she laced her fingers in her lap. "Sorry it took so long. I wanted to find the nice cups since we're finally all together again."

With that, she reached for both boys' hands and held onto them firmly, her left on Suzaku's and her right in Lelouch's.

C.C. settled beside Lelouch, very familiar and close, while Suzaku took the opposite couch and Nunnally separated them in the middle. The youngest of them, Nunnally tied them together. In fact, without Nunnally, Suzaku and Lelouch may never have becomes friends. Try as the girl might, though, Suzaku was convinced she'd never be able to make him like C.C.

Some time after Nunnally served the tea and after the initial pleasantries, Suzaku started talking about what he'd really come to say. Well, part of it, anyways. The other he'd have to discuss with Lelouch alone.

"Nunnally, Lelouch. I just wanted to apologize for not making it last night. You know how Lloyd can get, and I can't really say no to Cécile either."

He was considerably more relaxed now that C.C. wasn't the only one in the room. His shoulders rolled back; he leaned into the couch. C.C. kept watching him, but he shrugged off her penetrating gaze as yet another attempt to get another his skin.

"No, I know. It's fine. I wasn't here for part of it either, to be honest." Lelouch smiled apologetically in Nunnally's direction. "We went to the company party for the last half."

"Company party?" Suzaku straightened, a bit shocked. "You don't mean—"

"I still get the invitations," Lelouch explained as casually as he could, but the air immediately changed. Even Nunnally seemed uncomfortable.

"How's Father?" she squeaked and played with the teacup in her lap.

"The same," Lelouch answered shortly and took another sip.

Suzaku didn't quite know what to say. He opened his mouth then shut it abruptly and threw a glare in C.C.'s direction. She didn't seem interested in the conversation. Either that, or she was just feigning disinterest which was very possible given why she was with Lelouch in the first place.

This seemed a good time to take Lelouch aside, but before he got the chance, Lelouch changed the topic. His eyes had been flicking to C.C.'s chest periodically, and now he was blatantly staring at her with the same sort of haggard exasperation and resignation that was on his face often nowadays.

"C.C., I thought I told you to stop wearing my clothes."

Nunnally giggled, and the atmosphere lightened just as quickly as it'd changed before.

C.C. sighed. "Well, you don't give me money enough to buy my own clothes, do you?"

"You _would_ have enough if you just stopped spending it all on _pizza_."

"It can't be helped." She said it so flippantly that Suzaku couldn't help getting angry in his friend's place.

Lelouch's lip twitched. He didn't seem ready to give up on the topic, but Suzaku couldn't let himself be derailed. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, and Lelouch stopped.

"I'll get some more tea," he said and stood.

"I'll help," Suzaku added.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

"I just don't get it, Lelouch."

Lelouch stood with his back to his friend. They were speaking in whispers, but given how animatedly Nunnally was talking in the other room, he doubted either of the girls would hear them. Regardless, it was better to be safe than sorry when there was a witch around.

Suzaku took a step forward and placed his hands on the marble counter in the middle of the kitchen.

"Why would you go to the company party, and why would you take _her_. You're already enough on your father's bad side, and if he saw you with _her—_"

"Suzaku, I already told you I have no interest in working for that man again." There was something surprisingly harsh and rough in the way he said it.

Suzaku paused. "I know, but you have to think about Nunnally too. Because she_—_Because she sided with you, she's been_—_"

He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder and then lower his voice even further. "_Disinherited_, too. And with _C.C._ living with you and with the way she spends money on just _pizza._ I just don't understand how you're going to support them both."

He wanted to tell Lelouch to stop seeing C.C. again, but he hesitated. This probably wasn't the best time to bring it up. Plus, there were other, more pressing issues.

"Listen," he continued, "you don't have to work for the company again, but it's been a year, and if you just talk to him, I'm sure he'll take you back into the family. Even if you don't want to, think about how hard it's been on Nunnally."

Suzaku could see Lelouch's grip tighten on the handle of the teapot. He'd hit a sore point, but it was true. He couldn't go on like this, and as his friend, Suzaku wouldn't let him. Lelouch was being awfully quiet, though, and he was about to plead with him again when the other's phone buzzed. It sat on the counter next to his right hand, so he couldn't help but read the text that popped up.

**Cardemonde Rivalz  
**heeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Lelouch! We're still all set for the casino tomorrow right? Are you ready to win us big money again ;P let's hope there's as many rich suckers as there were last week! LOL

Lelouch snatched the phone, but he was too late.

"You're _gambling_ again?" Suzaku asked, the shock in his voice as apparent as it was on his face.

Lelouch smirked very lightly. "Where do you think I get the money for her pizzas?"

_Her_. He knew it. Shirley had worked so hard to stop Lelouch's habit. Now, he was back at it, and it was all because of _her_.

"You have to stop seeing C.C. I don't know what lies she's been feeding you, but she doesn't love you. You haven't told her you've been disinherited and taken out of the will, have you?"

No response.

"_Tell her_. See how she responds. If she doesn't leave you_—_"

"That's enough, Suzaku."

Suzaku refused to be brushed off this time. He'd never seen Lelouch so—so—so—_unreasonable_, and Lelouch had always been the smart one. He was the brains, Suzaku was the brawn. They could do anything together, but now that _woman_ drove a wedge between them, made him out to be some kind of enemy. She was the real enemy. He just needed to get Lelouch to see that. __  
__

He skirted around the counter and grabbed Lelouch by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him.

"Lelouch—"

"Oh."

C.C. stood at the doorway, twirling a strand of hair between her forefinger and thumb. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes were smiling. The devilish glint in them made Suzaku grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something? Do you need a room? There's one upstairs, you know."

And then, almost in the same breath, "Is this a bad time to tell you I'm pregnant?"

* * *

**author's note: **hahahahaha expect future chapters to come slower idk what i'm doing i'm supposed to be studying orz. anyways, reviews appreciated as always, and i wanna thank everyone who reviewed last time! i'm glad you're all enjoying it, and to mr. nox, ahhh your double review was very helpful, thank you! and to everyone, i hope i don't disappoint c:


	3. Chapter 3

He was sure the girl sitting beside him in the passenger seat had the same thought he did. Suffer through this for Nunnally's sake. Even C.C. had to have that much decency else she never would've come. But given her earlier behavior—

Suzaku's mind flashed back to the squeeze of her thighs, and he nearly ran a red light.

"Careful," C.C. quipped, voice muffled by her yellow plush, "You're going to get us killed."

Her eyes had strayed from the road and refocused on him with such intensity that he swore she'd known exactly what he was thinking. Even when he turned his head aside, he could still see her eyes reflected in the window. There was no escaping her, so he concentrated hard on appreciating the scenery outside instead.

The storm had blanketed the city overnight, leaving icy roads and grey clouds in its wake. Every bare boned tree had been bleached, and where the traffic was light, it was hard to make out the sidewalk from the snow. Even so, there was liveliness in the streets and Christmas decorations yet to be taken down. Colorful winter coats seemed to indicate the New Years celebration was far from over, so it wouldn't have been a exaggeration, then, to say the atmosphere in the car was colder than it was outside.

Only Nunnally's vibrancy kept the awkward silences at bay. She was bursting with things about her time abroad, about studying in Cambridge and catching shows in London, but he just couldn't share her enthusiasm. His distraction must have shown because the next he looked in the rear view mirror, Nunnally's eyebrows had drawn together in a worried frown.

"Suzaku? Are you okay? I'm sorry. If I'm talking too much, just tell me."

"No, not at all! I just have a lot of things on my mind. Don't worry about it. Tell me more about your school. Was Rolo in your class too?"

Her look of hesitation cleared up, and her excitement filled the small interior once more, giving Suzaku the opportunity to retreat back into his own thoughts. They were a mess. C.C.'s interest in him had seemingly faded as quickly as it'd developed. She had barely talked to him since they'd left the house which was fine by him because the feeling was mutual. The less he talked to her the better; the only downside was that it didn't answer any questions.

Her claims of less than an hour ago continued repeating in his head along with Lelouch's quick denial. Of course, he wasn't going to take her word over his, but that didn't make what she'd said any less disturbing. And that wasn't the only thing. The two had tucked themselves away in a corner when Suzaku was preoccupied with helping Nunnally into her jacket. Their exchange reached his ears regardless.

_"Relax. Now that he knows I'm here, there's no point in hiding, is there?"_

_"But what if he—"_

_"You said yourself the chances were slim to none, didn't you?"_

Suzaku frowned. Hiding? Who was she hiding from? What was Lelouch so concerned about? He doubted a jilted ex-boyfriend was the cause, so what? His eyes inadvertently narrowed in C.C.'s direction, and his grip on the wheel tightened.

Even if she _was_ pregnant, he'd never let Lelouch marry her, and Lelouch would never think to marry someone like her to begin with. This was just a passing fancy that would end as soon as he came to his senses.

By the time Suzaku had parked the car, he'd thoroughly talked himself out of any possibility of a future wedding, pregnancy be damned. He almost felt lighter, as though a weight had been lifted, and he even deigned to open the car door for the very girl who was the source of all his stress. The look in her eye, however, was enough to make him regret the action immediately.

'Ever the chivalrous knight, eh?'

He didn't need her voice to affirm those amber insinuations. She was mocking him, toying with him, as she'd constantly been doing ever since he returned to Japan. It was difficult not to bite back, but in the presence of Nunnally, he had to behave. She came first; his affection for Nunnally far outweighed his distaste for C.C., so he settled for a tight smile and a quick slam of the door that just barely missed the hem of her pants.

Suzaku took the wheelchair out of the trunk and helped Nunnally into it.

"Thank you, Suzaku," she smiled, slipping her arms from around his neck as she settled into the seat, bundled up in the overly large jacket Lelouch had made her wear.

"Ah, Miss C.C.!" Nunally leaned back into the car and caught a similarly bloated white coat by the sleeve. "You forgot your jacket!"

"I don't need it," C.C. replied, pirouetting to face them from the considerable distance she'd already walked. "Your brother is just worried he'll have to take care of me if I get sick."

Nunnally laughed. "That's not true; I'm sure he's just worried about you."

No response. C.C. simply pulled her cap lower over her eyes and started walking again.

Suzaku shook his head. "That woman has no consideration for others," he murmured and then, louder, "It's fine, Nunnally. Just leave her be."

Nunnally reluctantly let go, and Suzaku locked the door. By the time Suzaku pushed Nunnally out of the parking lot, C.C. had already disappeared into the depths of the indoor mall.

"That _woman_," Suzaku muttered, keeping as quiet as he could, but it seemed it wasn't quiet enough because the next thing he knew, Nunnally's bright violet eyes had locked onto his.

"Suzaku, please be nice to Miss C.C."

Her bluntness caught him off guard; a sense of guilt immediately coiled in the pit of his stomach. She lay her small hand atop his on the handlebars and accompanied the gesture with a twinkling laugh out of sync with the gravity of her words.

"I wasn't going to say anything," she smiled, "But I was glad Brother couldn't come. I really want you to get along with Miss C.C. She's very kind to me, and ever since Miss Sayoko left—"

"Sayoko left?" Nunnally didn't need to see his face to make out the surprise.

Her smile faltered, and her grip loosened. Soon she'd curled her fingers back in her lap, playing with the fringes of her jacket restlessly as she looked for an explanation.

"Yes, that was my choice. I'm fine on my own; I really am. Brother insisted otherwise, but I want to help him, so this was the least I could do."

She shrugged. They walked slowly in the crowd, slower now that Suzaku had this new information to digest. His indignation only grew in light of it because while Nunnally was left to take care of herself, C.C. continued hoarding pizzas? Buying whatever she liked with Lelouch's money?

"Ever since she left," Nunnally continued, "Miss C.C. has helped me a lot. I know you don't like her, but please give her a chance. Remember when you first met us?"

Her bright smile returned, but this time Suzaku shifted his gaze to the side with a sheepish chuckle. He was a kid, and he had his reasons for disliking Lelouch. This, however, wasn't the same. In addition to using Lelouch, C.C. had no good traits whatsoever. He couldn't argue with Nunnally, but he couldn't do as she said either. Her earnestness alone was enough to win him over on everything except this.

"Promise me." She reached for his hand once more. "Promise me you'll try."

For all his misgivings, Suzaku still couldn't find it in him to deny her. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and his eyes wrinkled in an attempt at a reassuring smile. "Promise," he tittered nervously.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

It was well into the afternoon when they finished lunch. C.C.'s willingness to dine on anything other than her favorite junk food—after much convincing, that is—was unexpected but not as unexpected as Nunnally leaving them alone.

"You promised," she'd said, grinning broadly and wheeling out of reach before Suzaku could react. She was swallowed by the crowd with the promise that she'd call when she was done, and that was that.

He knew Nunnally was trying her best, but without her, he and C.C. had nothing to say. As he'd predicted, there was only awkward silence. Suzaku didn't bother asking where she was going, and she didn't bother telling him. It was a good twenty minutes or so before either said a word, not until the fourth or fifth clothing shop they'd passed that C.C. finally broke the tension.

"I suppose you could help me if nothing else," she said simply, eyes drawn to a window of wedding dresses.

Suzaku followed her line of sight, and the moment he realized what he was looking at, the answer caught and changed halfway in his throat. "I'm not—You weren't serious, were you?"

"About what?"

"You know about what."

He could see the Chesire grin spreading across her features from the glass reflection. "What?" she asked again, refusing to answer until he said the word that she very well knew he was loathe to say.

"_Pregnant_," Suzaku finally hissed though the word came out like air from a deflated tire, exasperated.

"Oh, that. You're not still hung up on that, are you? Besides, it doesn't even concern you, so why should you care?"

Light steps took her farther from the storefront and onto the next one. Bright engagement rings glistened under artificial lighting, and whether feigned or real, C.C. seemed very interested. The panic rose.

"Of course I care!" Suzaku sputtered, hastening to catch up. "We're friends; friends don't let each other throw their lives away."

C.C. chuckled, twirling hair around her forefinger as she continued dawdling before the jewelry display. She must've enjoyed watching him squirm. What exactly had Lelouch fallen in love with?

"Whatever happened to chivalry?"

"Women like you killed it. Are you going to give me a straight answer or not?"

"Maybe," she replied after a moment of thought, head tilted to the side so Suzaku could just barely catch her eye. "If you help me, that is."

"I'm not sure I want to; I'm not sure it's worth it," he said straightforwardly and anticipated snark in return. Maybe, "you'll never know if you don't try," or otherwise, "that's not very knightly of you," but the playfulness had disappeared.

She straightened, arms crossed beneath her chest, eyes averted. "Why do you dislike me so much, Suzaku?"

Dislike was a bit of an understatement at this point. "We both know why."

"Oh? Humor me, then." She quirked an eyebrow and turned heel. "Why?"

"You don't love him." If she was being serious, then he supposed he could return the favor.

"And you do?"

"Yes. No. I mean, we're friends. Don't give me that look, C.C." Suzaku grimaced. "You know what I mean."

"Fine, fine," she returned airily, faint smirk playing on her lips as she tugged on the brim of her cap. "Fair enough, but how can you be so sure that I don't?"

"Because that's not how love works," he answered, almost reflexively.

It wasn't love because he knew what love was. He'd experienced it. Love was support and selflessness and sacrifice. Loyalty. Pain. Happiness. Nothing could've quite described his time with Euphemia, but if there was one thing he did know, it was that _she_ and her feelings couldn't hope to compare. Her shallow motives hardly qualified as feelings to begin with. He was confident in this assessment if nothing else, and he was almost looking forward to C.C.'s defense or lack thereof.

But rather than responding, she stopped in front of an electronics store. C.C. laced her fingers behind her back and watched the several high def, big screen televisions on display. They were all playing the same show, some lovelorn drama, and it seemed this was the scene where the fiancé confronted his lover about her infidelity. Or about her cancer. It was always one or the other with these shows. Suzaku's eyes strayed after a couple of seconds. He found this kind of entertainment base and vulgar, but if he didn't know better, he would've said C.C. was a fan by the way her eyes remained fixed til the screens cut to commercial.

"Maybe not, I don't know," she said finally. "But I do enjoy being with him. And that's the truth."

Such naked honesty caught him by surprise. He didn't have anything to say to that, so when she turned and received only stunned silence, she simply started walking again without him.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Suzaku waited outside the dressing room impatiently. He didn't know how he got dragged into this or why he agreed in the first place. _Hell_, he hadn't agreed, not really. She'd simply taken his non-response as affirmation, and they were wedged between racks of skirts and dresses and blouses before he could regain his bearings. The only upside was that she didn't seem to be buying as much as he'd thought she would. He'd expected armfuls of clothes thrust on him, but she'd thrown maybe ten outfits his way, five on each forearm as he counted the seconds and tried to avoid the stares and whispers.

"—so cute! I wish my boyfriend would come shopping with me."

"She's soooo lucky. My ex wouldn't even hold my purse while I bought groceries."

Hushed twitters and giggles passed by as Suzaku nudged the cell phone from his pocket only to be disappointed by the lack of notifications. Surely Nunnally had to have finished by now. When was she going to call because he _really _couldn't stand it anymore.

"Oi, C.C.!" he called, wearing the same unhappy look as a man with indigestion as he leaned forward, "Are you done yet—?"

"What do you think?"

The door had nearly flipped in his face when she'd opened it, but now he was preoccupied with something else entirely. If he was any less used to her antics (or sleepwear), he might've started blushing.

"W-Why are you buying a _swimsuit_ in the middle of _winter_?" he sputtered.

"Because swimsuits are cheap in winter," she answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Now tell me," she continued, plucking at the strings of her white halter top, "Is this to Lelouch's aesthetic?"

As if to further emphasize her question, she gave Suzaku the full view with a quick turn left and right. The bikini bottom hugged her hips tightly, tighter than her usual undergarments, but was it more inappropriate to point that out or to not?

To be honest, C.C. had looked stunning in nearly every outfit she'd tried. Granted, some were a little more ridiculous than others, but she still managed to pull them off. It was an objective fact that didn't have anything to do with what Suzaku personally thought of her. He couldn't very well _admit_ that, though. He wasn't Lelouch, and if she had really wanted to know Lelouch's opinion, then how was _he_ supposed to know.

"You're his friend," she'd said, "Shouldn't you know his type?"

It was easier to give in than to argue. He wondered if Lelouch often felt the same in her presence, so rather than insisting he didn't know, he simply yea'd or nay'd at random and to the best of Lelouch's "aesthetic" as he could manage. At the very least he knew his friend didn't like sequins.

C.C. rummaged through the remaining articles draped over his arm. He was sure she'd already worn them all and was about to say so when she pulled something, or rather somethings, from the pile.

"Oh, that's right, here." She pushed the hanger against his chest. "Try this."

It was a white dress shirt and checkered pants to match her checkered skirt and white blouse. She'd even picked out a headband to accessorize. Suzaku could only blink and stare for a few seconds, mouth slightly agape, unable to understand what she was aski—_demanding_.

"_Why_."

She was already halfway back in her dressing room before he'd even recovered, and he nearly followed her into it.

"Because I want to gauge how well it'd look on him," she said simply, hanging the outfit on the nearest empty hook before meeting Suzaku's gaze in the mirror. Her impassive stare almost seemed to say, "Are you an idiot?"

"Lelouch and I aren't even the same size!"

"Close enough. I just need an approximation." She hooked her thumbs into the band of her bikini and leaned back til her upside down eyes met his, and he saw that familiar spark of mischief.

"Do you mind?" Her fingers slowly began applying pressure and the second half of her swimsuit almost began making its way back down her body. "Or you could stay and wa—"

Suzaku slammed the door shut and banged his head against it. He was a good person; he didn't deserve this. Given it was C.C., though, there was little else he could do, so he begrudgingly backtracked to the men's room and pulled out his cellphone for the umpteenth time in the process. He continued staring at the darkened screen even as he hung his jacket, pulled his shirt over his head, unzipped his pants and began maneuvering into the slacks.

His face crumpled when he came to the realization that Nunnally most likely wouldn't be calling in the next five minutes, and just as he'd thought, he and Lelouch _weren't the same size_. He tore his eyes away from the phone to refocus on his reflection, and he sighed, shoulders slumped. Once he'd buttoned the shirt, the tightness became that much more obvious. Lelouch had always been thin as a stick; he had the same proportions as a woman if C.C. constantly wearing—and fitting into—his clothes said anything. Suzaku's lean muscles were bursting out of the seams, and in short, he looked ridiculous.

"Hey, now, see?" she said, dragging him before the large mirror in the hall once they'd reconvened. "We look good."

She leaned against his side, and a few more girls giggled as they passed. "Hm."

She tilted her head. "Yep, Lelouch would look better."

She looked up at him. "But this works."

She was enjoying this.

"Ugh." Suzaku threw up his hands and tore the tie away in a fit of frustration. "I'm going to go to wait in line."

He left before she could protest and quickly redressed, frowning as he did so. His fingers tripped along, fumbling with the buttons and zippers and everything else in his haste. He was sick and tired of being toyed with and resolved to call Nunnally whether or not she called them. At this point, he hardly even cared about getting an answer to his previous question.

When Suzaku finally reached the queue, there were only girls. They crowded him on either side, and by the time he sidled up to the register, he was too worn to care or even notice the card he'd slid across the counter.

"You're paying."

C.C.'s deadpanned observation caused a jump. All of a sudden, she was at his side, back in her hat and skirt and jacket with the same quirk of her brow and tilt of her head that was slowly driving him insane.

"Ah—"

Suzaku snapped out of his daze and instinctively reached for the card that was already in the cashier's hand.

He stopped midway and sighed. "Never mind," he amended, shaking his head as his arm returned to the tabletop. He gave C.C. a disgruntled sideward glance. "Nunnally has Lelouch's, right? So."

He paused. "It's on me."

"Hmmm?" she hummed, cupping her chin in her hand as she leaned against the ledge.

"What?"

"Nothing." She ignored the clipped tone and picked up the bags. "Just what I'd expect from the White Knight."

Suzaku grabbed the receipt and quickly thanked the girl before hurrying after C.C. She was quick; her short, small steps had already taken her out the store by the time Suzaku caught up. The bags hung loosely in her hands, knocking against her legs every few feet as she stopped and started and stopped. Her eyes had strayed towards another storefront, a knockoff of Pizza Hut, but he ignored the hungry look in her eyes and walked on.

"Why do you keep _calling_ me that?"

"What?" she asked, eyes glued to the menu as she dawdled after him.

"'White Knight.'"

She laughed, and the sound startled him. He snapped his head over his shoulder and stared, bemused, because something...?

"Do you remember when we first met, Suzaku Kururugi?"

She walked past him, bags and hands laced behind her back. A sense of déjà vu washed over him, and he followed silently.

"You were helping an old lady cross the street. I figured you a knight in shining armor right then and there, but the moniker doesn't quite roll of the tongue, does it? And neither does silver knight, so."

She swiveled around, and he nearly ran into her. Their faces were mere inches apart.

"White Knight."

Ah. He thought he'd heard that laugh before. It was the same as Euphemia's wasn't it? Well, not the same, no. No one could ever replace Euphy's lilt, but it was similar, wasn't it? His expression had inadvertently softened as his thoughts wandered, so he didn't notice the draining color in C.C's face or the bags that had suddenly dropped from her hands.

"It can't be. No, he can't have..."

"C.C.?"

If she'd been any quieter, he would've missed the hushed whisper entirely. While they had stopped in the middle of the mall, others continued pulsing and pushing around them. The constantly fluxing crowd reflected in her yellow eyes that had gone wide with—fear? Surprise? What could strike fear or surprise in a girl so callous and unabashed?

Suzaku turned—

"Come here!"

Her hand twisted in his shirt with such strength he nearly tripped over his feet following her or, rather, being dragged by her.

"Hey! C.C.! What—!"

"Shut up."

She shoved him against the wall. The hard glint in her eyes meant to cow him merely enraged him instead. He opened his mouth, ready to give her hell for the rough, uncalled for treatment, ready to make a fuss about being pulled into a side corridor, ready to question her sanity, but she took the opening and acted first.

She was just as rough with her tongue as she had been with her actions. He felt as though he were being beaten rather than kissed by the way her fingers remained firmly curled in the collar of his shirt, the way her knuckles had turned white from force, the way her lips trembled against his, the way her tongue bruised the inside of his mouth.

_Fuck._

"Mmhmph!"

Suzaku's hands fluttered to her shoulders and hesitated. He didn't even know where to touch her. He didn't even know what she was doing. He didn't even know _why this was happening_. Somehow, in all his confusion, his hands managed to settle on her body long enough for him to _push_. She was strong, though. Much, much, much stronger than she looked, and as if to dissuade his incessant nudging, she suddenly broke away. He took a deep breath, surprise having made him forget to breath, but the pause was only long enough to lull him into a false sense of security. Before he could even yelp, her lips were on his once more, except their positions had switched. _Her_ back was flush against the wall this time, and he boxed her in, hands set on either side of her as he pushed in vain. It was no use. She had an iron grip on his shirt. The only way he could pry her loose was to rip it.

And despite everything, despite the person, somewhere in the back of his mind he still couldn't help but wonder how long it'd been since he last kissed a girl like this.

Time seemed to drag on forever, but then slowly, ever so haltingly, her hold relaxed. The moment the pressure began easing, he sprung back and nearly knocked into another couple who gave him a vexed look for disrupting their romantic moment with his supposedly romantic moment. Suzaku, however, was too flustered to give a damn. His face was as red as her hair was green, the leftover stands of which she discreetly tucked into her hat.

"What—! C.C.! W-What _was_ that? Why—! C.C.!"

She picked up the bags she'd kicked after them without answering his question and left the thin hallway, going in the same direction as before but at a much faster pace.

He really had to run to catch up now once he'd sufficiently recovered from the shock and had wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"C.C.!" he called, dodging between families and couples to reach her.

"Tell Nunnally to meet us at the fountain in front. We're leaving."

"_Why?_" he spat. "What _was_ that? Who—"

His thoughts returned to the look on her face and the barely noticeable stutter she'd had before dragging him away. He grabbed her wrist hard enough to bruise.

"What are you running from. _Who_ are you running from?"

C.C. stopped, but the blank ferocity of her eyes, suddenly devoid of all light, unnerved him more than his aggression did her.

"Who said I was running from anyone?" she returned casually. "It's getting late. In light of that, do you disagree?"

Suzaku gritted his teeth, a growl ready to erupt from the back of his throat, when a familiar voice broke his concentration.

"Suzaku? Miss C.C.? Is everything alright?"

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

A young man boarded a bus in the parking lot. He paid his fare and sat in the front, wholly unaware of the stares he got because his mind was somewhere else.

_"Thank you."_

Bright purple headphones covered his ears, but it wasn't music he was happily humming to.

_"I understand."_

He sighed and pressed his face to the window, drawing pictures in the frost. Soon, the entire surface was covered in little hearts with tiny words in the center.

_"Don't worry."_

Yes, there wasn't any need to worry. He would be reunited with the love of his life soon. She was the only one for him; they'd promised, after all.

_"Are you awake?"_

He smiled dreamily and stared into the storm outside. He could almost see her now, walking through the snow to him.

_"Oh, Mao, how silly!"_

His eyes widened. "C.C.!" he cried, banging on the glass. But the bus had already started moving, and she didn't notice him. She got into the car, a clump of hair falling out of her hat to frame her lovely, lovely face and big, beautiful amber eyes.

There was no way he'd ever mistake her. This was his C.C. He'd found her at last.

_"Mao. Mao? Mao!"_

"Wait for me, C.C.!" he called, face and white hair pressed against the cold pane. "Wait for me!"

* * *

**author's note:** that was a long chapter, longest thing i've written in a long time to be honest, but i'll try to keep it to about this length for future chapters. in any case, apologies for the silence! i've been debating for the last couple of months how to continue the story, and i more or less have an idea. i'm not going to make any promises, but i will do my best though updates won't be very quick. sorry orz school starts soon and i'm going to be very very busy until january at least, so yeah :,D um i'm sorry for the lack of c.c. x lelouch orz but please know there will be c.c. x lelouch because c.c. x lelouch is my ultimate otp. i do, however, enjoy developing c.c. x suzaku, so i hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as i did writing it. also, apologies for the suzaku-centric pov orz it's the pov i'm most comfortable with rn tbqh, but i will switch it up! there will be c.c. pov and lelouch pov in the future; i just can't say when exactly. um big big thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed and fav'd :) i really appreciate it especially since i haven't dabbled in code geass in so long. please feel free to leave criticisms or suggestions; i'll take them into account! and of course feel free to review with good things too; they make me warm and fuzzy and help a lot as well! in any case, thanks for reading!

oh! fun fact: i tried my best to copy c.c.'s outfits from the anime/official artwork into the fanfic, haha.


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